Top Ten Tuesday: Summer Readin'

 

My computer is filled with files on books I want to read, or own, or series I need to finish. I'm a compulsive list-maker, but it helps with my sense of accomplishment when I finish. Even though reading is something I love and would do regardless of a list or not, I was thinking it might be fun for me to make a record of some books I'd like to read this summer. I'm out of school till September, for the first time in years, and I plan to take full advantage of that! But if I make my list too long, I know I'll end up tempted to stray, so here it is. Ten titles to read June to August 2012, and like always, these are in no particular order. I'll be sure to check back in early September and let you know how I managed!

1. That Summer by Sarah Dessen
It seems like a lot of Sarah Dessen's books take place over the summer, so she seemed like the perfect author to start with. Though I've only read two by her so far Keeping the Moon and Along For the Ride, both were definitely summer books. This was her debut, but I'm still hoping for more of the authentic characters and easy to read writing that Dessen is recognized for.

2. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Two birds with one stone, since one of my 2012 goals was to pick up my first Ockler title. I prefer to read books in the order they were published, even in the case of standalones, so I'm happy to try out this contentious title first. Honestly though, I refuse to pick up a book just because it's been banned a lot, and this is a case where it's really the blogger love and recommendations that have got me eager to read it. 

3. The Last Summer (Of You And Me) by Ann Brashares
I adored the Traveling Pants series, but had less love for Brashares' adult title My Name Is Memory. Still, I'm willing to give this, which was actually her first adult novel, a try and I hope that Brashares takes on adult relationships as thoughtfully as she does with teenagers. 

4. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
This is actually the first in a trilogy, so I'll probably end up reading all three if I enjoy it. I've heard great things about it, and it's bound to be filled with romance, friendship and the usual taste of drama.

5. The Summer I Learned To Fly by Dana Reinhardt
The first book I read by Reinhardt, Harmless, wasn't my favourite but there were some aspects I enjoyed so I'm willing to give her books a second chance. Plus, I haven't even read it and I already feel sympathetic towards the main character, Drew, who has a pet rat and her dad's Book of Lists.

6. Farewell Summer by Ray Bradbury
I love Bradbury, and I still think of his novel Dandelion Wine as one of the most perfect summer books there is. When I was checking out books with "summer" in the title I came across this one, and even though I hadn't heard of it I instantly had to add it to my list. Then, I found out it's actually a Dandelion Wine sequel, so I'll probably need to reread that too. Hopefully it has the same whimsy and beauty as the first book.

7. The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy 
McVoy is one of those authors I've heard great things about (especially from Jordyn) and though, as I said, I prefer to read titles in the order they're published, I'm going to have to make a couple exceptions for the sake of my summery list.

8. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz 
Another author I've been wanting to read, and though this is her second book, I guess I'll also be reading it first! The description calls it "not your typical beach read" and although the cover sorta argues otherwise, I'm excited to give Moskowitz a try.

9. Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell 
I actually own two books by Mitchell (but not this one), but they're part of a trilogy that hasn't finished yet and I'm kinda waiting for the last book to be published before I read it. So I'll stick with this one instead. It's a summer ghost story, which I'm pretty sure I haven't read anything like before, and it's a tiny little book (less than 200 pages) so I have no excuse for not reading it.

10. A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger
A final "author I've heard a lot about but I really planned to read her first book first" for my list. I'm pretty curious about books with MCs that seem unlikable (at least at first) and I'll be interested to see how Keplinger handles it. And, if I fall in love with the novel, I've got two more by her waiting on my shelves.

Have I got you lusting over summer yet? Have you read any of these books? Are there any I'm desperately missing and should ambitiously add to the list? Do you promise to remind me about this in August so I can scramble to actually read these before my self-imposed deadline? Is this enough questions for ending a post?

If anyone wants to join me on this mini summer readin' challenge, leave a note in the comments. Happy reading everyone, and happy summer :)